


Get You a Man Who Can Do Both

by Sameshima_Shuzumi



Series: Theme: The Red Surprise [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, F/M, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Pregnancy, Read at Your Own Risk, This Work is Deliberately Under-tagged
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:41:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29428287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sameshima_Shuzumi/pseuds/Sameshima_Shuzumi
Summary: Read past the ending for protection's sake.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Theme: The Red Surprise [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161776
Kudos: 27





	Get You a Man Who Can Do Both

When she finally got the words out, masked and standing on a high rooftop, his first reaction was to reach out to her. He was seated; his black gloves rose before his face could figure out what to do; in the dark she could see the hectic flush on his cheeks as his arms faltered, and he slumped back.

His second reaction was to say, "Do you have anyone?" 

Ladybug was startled. Her hands, they were occupied, and she couldn't sit down, just like he couldn't stand up. She recognized the expression on his face for the one she'd worn to her own mirror. Her heart was still pumping from the ordeal of having to form words. She couldn't understand what he was saying, for a second.

Chat Noir said, "I could get someone. Discreet. I could pull some strings, even, have someone see you from outside Paris. Or France..."

"Oh!" she said, following him at last. Her hands kept working. She wanted to touch him, to fall into his arms as they had on many a night, but the best she could do was to touch the toes of their boots. "No, I took care of it. I mean! I didn't take care of it. Yet." She took a deep breath. "The pills came. Today. They're in a box. One of my boxes. Next to the Miracle Box. The kwami are watching it." 

She had never been so glad she'd figured out the spell to manifest the kwami without wearing every Miraculous jewel, albeit less than a meter away from the Miracle Box. They called it... 'the babysitting spell'. The gladness fled. Mentally she cursed herself out. 

"That's good," said Chat Noir, his breaths thready. 

They were facing each other. Angled just right, from long practice, to be able to spot an akuma from any direction.

And that in itself firmed her resolve.

She just didn't want to hurt Chat! This was crushingly difficult enough. Their partnership... 

_Be honest, Marinette._

Their love was everything.

Her hands were restless. She looked down at them. The red material had a natural grip, or she would have lost her hold on the small object.

"I do believe you, you know," said Chat softly.

"I don't know why I still have it," she confessed. She'd washed it, of course, but it was still weird. Out and about she'd put it in her purse and made poor Tikki hug it, for days. "Guess I couldn't let go."

"But you will," said Chat.

The lump in her throat felt like lead. "I will," she managed. 

Suddenly Chat shifted into a crouch. "If you can't, I could adopt..."

Nerves flared up into anger. Ladybug snapped, "You're not the one giving birth!"

Chat Noir sidled back fast. "I'm sorry! I'm not trying to change your mind. If you're not ready, I'm...offering..." He flailed a little.

She blinked at him, astonishment bringing her out of her fit of temper. "You'd really be a single dad, Chat?" 

"I'd probably be disowned myself," he said ruefully. "But yes. If that was the decision. I'd, I'd probably mess up horribly..."

For a moment she stared at him, agog. "Me too," she said at last. Hesitantly she crossed the short expanse between them. He didn't know where to put his hands as she lowered herself across his lap, which for his usual confident grace was sort of funny. She didn't feel like laughing. "It's good of you to want that. It means you wouldn't mess up too badly. When the time comes." 

A family. That was what he wanted. She knew that. 

He was warm and all-encompassing, and her source of safety. She was supposed to be that home for him, and here she was. 

"Don't worry about that," he said, like he could read her mind. "I just blurted out what crossed my mind first." He placed his hand over hers... still holding the positive pregnancy test. Then he froze, unsure if he should withdraw or not.

"You can have it," she whispered. A watery chuckle escaped. Her weird souvenir. "You'd have to hide it really well."

"Not as much as you'd have had to," he murmured. They shared a laugh this time. "I didn't mean to make you think I'd put you through that just because I'm baby-mad."

She was, too. It was too much to even say it aloud.

Tentatively Chat wrapped her in a one-armed hug. With his free hand he pulled out his baton and did a search for pregnancy. "This okay? You don't mind?" he asked. "I'm... monitored at home. But this could wait."

"Go on," she said. She'd learned, the hard way, that obtaining knowledge was how he coped. "Maybe... just... less with the word."

"Got it," he said. He pressed a kiss to her temple. Like pressing a rose. Airtight, and dry, and only sweet.

He was _so_ sweet.

He'd make a good father.

They could have such an amazing family. 

She watched his handsome face, so beloved; and she watched his pallor change as he read the information. "Oh, oh wow. You would've. All that?"

"Pregnancy permanently changes the body of a person," she recited. "I got that both ways, from my doctor and from Tikki."

"I didn't know these things." He held her tight, though his widened eyes were glued to his browser tab.

"You're a boy, you don't have to."

He tore his attention away, to look at her, and give her a squeeze. "I'm a person. I _do_ have to." They regarded each other. "I did learn about tampons when I was five. Took me a little longer to learn I shouldn't bring them up in public," he added in an embarrassed mumble.

That surprised a snorting laugh from her. She could just picture it. A petit blond boy conversing seriously about feminine hygiene.

He must have been adorable.

Before he could try any comebacks, she burst into tears. "I'm sorry," she rasped. His collar was wet, and her mask.

"It's not fair," he said solemnly. "You're not the bad guy, LB."

"I know!" she cried. "I know that it's Hawkmoth who's put us in this position. I only wish it were different," she said, lifting her head. She found Chat right where she thought he'd be: his gaze on her. His verdant eyes had gone liquid too. "If we could only imagine the possibilities without all this hanging over us."

He leaned into her, as though to kiss her cheek, and instead tucked his brow against her hair, not far from her Miraculous. He breathed sharply as she touched his jaw.

"Would you make a different decision?" he whispered. 

She stiffened. "If we were normal?"

"If we were bystanders." He turned so they were cheek-to-cheek.

So they could both keep watch, because it was dangerous for both at once to hide their eyes.

He said, "Hawkmoth has hurt so many of the people we love. Even if we didn't have the magic, could you really sit by and do nothing?"

She had made a million calculations these past few days. Envisioned scores of scenarios, in and out of the mask. "I might be scared," she said, and immediately he nuzzled her, as though to say, 'Don't be scared.' "But I wouldn't. You're right."

His voice was gentle and sure. "That's why I love you." 

Her heart skipped a beat. 

She kissed the corner of his precious mouth, unable to speak. _I love you._

He seemed to understand. Not minding the wetness seeping from his eyes, his gaze softened, his blink slowed. He said, "Besides, even if we took care of Hawkmoth tomorrow, it's not the right time for _you_."

"No," she said, her hands flying up to cup his face. "It's not the right time for _us_."

And before her, she could see all those possibilities unfurl behind his eyes. Fresh tears welled up. 

"Really...?" His focus darted to the filled-in indicator window settled between them.

"The future can only be brighter, minou."

  


♥

  


They parted briefly. 

She had a little talk with each of the kwami. A final checkpoint, of sorts, though it was mostly well-wishing and tiny-god–hugs. She could have rung up her physician, or even her pharmacist—she was lucky to be acquainted with them enough that they wouldn't have minded a late-night call. She would see them again anyway, for the follow-up.

For this moment she wanted the only human involved to be Chat Noir.

She swung away to the Eiffel Tower. The very top. No one would see; but at the same time, they wouldn't be hiding. Chat had worriedly asked her if this spot was the right place, if the reminders would be too much. 

She was sure. It wasn't quite a commemoration, though with time they might come to see it that way. It was that if questioned, she wanted them to answer truthfully. To make no secret of what they were doing. It was a defiance, and his eyes caught fire when he realized. After all, the leading lights of Paris had hated the Iron Lady when she was first erected.

He came to his feet when she arrived. He'd been and gone as well; he had a bottled water and the bedroll that she knew contained a fluffy blanket. 

Her heart swelled. 

They fell into an embrace, kissing, to be close. To reassure each other. Perhaps it was a commemoration after all, for kisses were how it had started.

Now they stood together. Facing one another. (Maybe one day... a different scene could unfold.)

She opened her compact, and took out the emergency contraception pill. 

He waited as she stared at it by the glow of her magic. 

"Are we doing the right thing?" she said quietly.

They breathed together. In the corner of her eye, she saw him clench his right hand, as though to cover his ring. Or to mirror a Cataclysm. Then he said, "Close your eyes."

She did. She could feel him shift back a bit, still close enough to feel his radiant warmth, yet not quite touching. It was past midnight, she could tell by the atmosphere. Ladybug threw her head back, tasting the night, her hair brushing her suit.

"Yes," she said to the air. "I'm doing the right thing."

She took the pill. She stepped into the circle of his arms as he passed her the water. Swallowed. 

Impulsively he kissed away the dots of moisture on her chin, quick little pecks, then withdrew, unsure again. She answered by nudging their faces together, knocking and thumping him though he didn't mind. In tune, they turned so she could drink again, and turned again to keep their eyes on the vista of the teeming city. 

Between them, their hands locked together. 

The wind whistled through the girders. 

Softly it bore away the whisper. 

"Bye, bye, little butterfly."

_Until we meet again._

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction. Unauthorized duplication and distribution prohibited. Canon is not mine, fanworks are not an endorsement of canon. Add 'sub rosa' or paste 💮 if you'd prefer no replies; necessitated ones will stay short.
> 
> The series is not for a continuation. This is a one-shot. Some of my series are collections of themed works (it's mostly to remind myself that there is a book-end wip which pairs with this). 
> 
> Content spoilers: The subject of this fic is choosing to have an abortion. At one point, the non-pregnant partner seems to suggest having the child so he can take custody, though this is a misunderstanding. It is also possible that there is an unaccompanied minor, and it is implied though not confirmed that her superhero status has afforded her some exceptions to the law. (The canon breaks a bunch of French laws so, natch.) I've also found indications that contraceptive pills may be dispensed in school infirmaries independent of adult involvement. And as usual, themes of child soldiers, if they are in fact kids at this point; the story does not explicitly state. 
> 
> As always, don't get your education from fanfic. Wikipedia is there to list sources as a starting-point.  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_control_in_France
> 
> Archival: Comments are closed for now. They may be opened later, moderated. That's more for me than for the fic. At the moment my mental state prevents me from... empathy, I guess? Like the words are there but they're not connected to visceral feelings. Fortunately I wrote most of this fic weeks ago. As you can imagine, public relations is kind of a bad idea at this time. I'm going to try for more fic — I've been pulling for two huge updates all week, and it's been an uphill slog, so we shall see.
> 
> ETA: Comment settings are subject to change. Please remember that they will be delivered to me. I'm a person, and all.  
> I am, however, accepting of a lack of comments.  
> Part of that is fear. Something to think about.
> 
> In case there's a notion for exaggeration on my part,   
> in 8 days this fic has surpassed hits of my first work in this fandom (provably recc'd and rated G) posted almost exactly   
> 11 months ago. Granted: the first work has been archive-locked this entire time, but   
> that's a 2.381% ratio. In two percent of the time. Which thus far has yielded  
> 0 comments (not unexpected), 22 kudos, 7 of whom are guests, for which I am grateful.
> 
> It can be quantified. Are you a part of that?
> 
> In closing — Ladybug having a special relationship with a pharmacist is so canon. C'mon, fandom. *poke*


End file.
